Your guide to L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees candidates

Eleven candidates are running for four seats on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, the state’s largest community college district.

The Times asked all candidates to respond in writing to queries about their experience and what their three top priorities would be if elected to the seven-member board. We also asked how they would deal with major issues confronting the district: responding to plunging enrollment and meeting the basic needs of many students who are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. We asked whether they support the district’s $5.3-billion bond measure on the ballot and whether the college district should look to expand or reduce the number of online classes. Some responses were paraphrased and edited for brevity.

One candidate for Seat 2, Glenn Trujillo Bailey, did not respond to requests to participate.

Trustee seats are at-large, which means voters throughout the district choose candidates for each seat rather than one trustee to represent a geographic area where a voter lives.

The sprawling Los Angeles Community College District extends across a 900-square-mile area of Los Angeles County, stretching from San Pedro to San Fernando and from Malibu to Monterey Park. Its nine campuses serve 102,000 students, according to district data for fall 2022. The system educates mostly students of color, and 53% have incomes at or below the poverty line, according to data from 2019-20. Many community college students are in their mid-20s or older, juggling jobs and families while attending class part-time.

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Name: Jason R. Aula

Age: 37

Occupation: News reporter and business owner

Experience: Worked with faculty unions such as AFT 1521, UTLA and SEIU 721. Worked with Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-North Hollywood). Advocated for cannabis access on municipal ballot measure initiatives

Priorities: Increase the value of LACCD degrees; create jobs by expanding football at L.A. Trade Tech and L.A. City College; maintain fiscal accountability through annual audits at each campus

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Jason R. Aula

(Calabasas Cyber Mine, LLC)

Bond measure: Yes, I support the bond measure; it fosters strong economic opportunities and job growth.

Enrollment losses: Foster strong economic opportunities and job growth through creation of a football team at L.A. City College and L.A. Trade Tech and return of Pierce College Farm operations; ensure safe campuses, education excellence, and quality community services by extending the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department contract with the LACCD; maintain fiscal accountability and balanced budgets

Basic needs: Same answer as above.

Online classes: Community colleges should continue to provide students virtual options with limits. Online classes should remain at the same level presently or be reduced.

Website: www.jasonaula.com

Name: Steven Veres

Age: 46

Occupation: Educator and public policy director

Experience: Elected to trustee position twice; taught classes in U.S. history, labor studies and Latin American history as an adjunct instructor and lecturer at UCLA, and the Los Angeles Community College District; worked in the California Legislature, developing expertise in budgeting and the legislative process

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Steven Veres

(Courtesy of Steven Veres)

Priorities: Stabilize and increase enrollment; confront pandemic learning loss and improve success for college transfer classes; improve and expand workforce training for students in healthcare and technology

Bond measure: I voted to place Measure LA because it is an investment in the educational future of residents served by LACCD. I fully support the district’s plan. I believe the best way to confront economic uncertainty is to invest in safe, modern and reliable educational facilities for residents to obtain new skills and career opportunities.

Enrollment losses: Inform and perform outreach to high school students and adult learners; provide flexible scheduling and career pathways; confront and better manage reasons students drop out; offer more student employment and increase financial aid

Basic needs: Access to food, housing, child care, mental health, financial assistance and transportation is critical for ensuring strong academic performance, increasing persistence and graduation, and improving well-being among students.

Online classes: We should provide as many options for students as can be efficiently offered. Enrollment decisions should inform what is preferred, what works and what should change.

Website: www.steveveres.com

Name: Sara Hernandez

Age: 39

Occupation: Attorney and college teacher

Experience: Founded a nonprofit for low-income students as a middle school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District; led community revitalization efforts at Los Angeles City Hall; currently an attorney and an instructor of constitutional law at Los Angeles Valley College

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Sara Hernandez

(Courtesy of the Sara Hernandez for LA Community College Campaign)

Priorities: Identify resources for students who are unhoused; expand L.A. College Promise by assisting students with public transportation vouchers, food and housing resources, child care; work on retaining enrolled students

Bond measure: Yes. I am always a proponent of more taxpayer dollars being used to fund education and investment in educational infrastructure, specifically education for groups of students that stand to benefit from educational opportunity the most.

Enrollment losses: The district needs an all-encompassing, sophisticated outreach campaign that utilizes both cutting-edge technology and marketing as well as personal, step-by-step guidance and follow-up.

Basic needs: Utilize our existing training programs and family centers to work toward providing more on-campus child care for LACCD students who need it; support the expansion of housing resources for students, faculty and staff

Online classes: I teach an online class, Constitutional Law, at Valley College. Many of my students are working full-time and taking this class to get certified, get ahead toward higher-paying jobs to take care of their families. The challenge for the years to come will be to find the right balance of in-person learning opportunities and virtual learning options.

Website: sarahernandez.com

Name: Christine LaMonica

Age: 55

Occupation: University lecturer, small-business owner of a yoga studio, yoga instructor

Experience: Lecturer in kinesiology for over 10 years; worked in retail planning and capital projects; attended Los Angeles Valley College and have two children attending Los Angeles Pierce College

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Christine LaMonica

(Courtesy of Christine LaMonica)

Priorities: Get the word out to our high school students about the benefit of starting college at community college; expand trade training and create apprenticeships; advocate for better pay and affordable health insurance benefits for adjunct faculty

Bond measure: If I am elected to the board I would ensure that the funds are spent fairly and properly. I do think the colleges would benefit greatly from the additional funding, which would in turn be a huge benefit to the students.

Enrollment losses: We need to do some outreach to illustrate how much a higher education can do for someone. Even more, we need to show community colleges are a great way to kick off your college experience, gain the same knowledge and at very affordable prices!

Basic needs: One of the reasons I like the bond initiative is the funding for student housing. I also support allowing students who are sleeping in their cars to be able to use the college parking lots at night so they have somewhere safe to be. I would also support the creation of a food pantry.

Online classes: I do think virtual options are good to have but I do not think they are the most effective for learning. I strongly support getting students back in the classroom and more fully engaged with school and campus.

Name: Ernest H. Moreno

Age: 76

Occupation: Member of the board of trustees for LACCD

Experience: East Los Angeles College president for 17 years, vice president of three years, community college teacher of 24 years, community college administrator of 20 years

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Ernest H. Moreno

(Courtesy of Ernest H. Moreno)

Priorities: Efficient and effective management of all colleges and district operations; develop educational programs that are marketable and relevant; return enrollment to at least 107,000 full-time equivalent students from its current 74,000

Bond measure: I do not support the approval of Measure LA. The district has received over $9 billion of bond funds for nine colleges in the past 20 years. In addition to the unprecedented 31% enrollment decline in the past five years and the shift to online instruction for nearly 50% of the instructional program, the colleges are grossly underutilized.

Enrollment losses: Return to in-person instruction; remove unnecessary bureaucratic enrollment hurdles; build relevant curriculum that is necessary for success in the field

Basic needs: Many students are not fully aware of the many services the colleges currently provide. Financial aid, counseling services, food services, academic tutoring, referrals for housing, job placement and health services all are available to support students’ basic needs. More emphasis should be placed on student awareness of these many services.

Online classes: Online instruction should be made available when the curriculum lends itself to such a delivery system, but it should not replace in-person instruction.

No website

Name: Gabriel Buelna

Age: 50

Occupation: Professor of Chicana/o studies at Cal State University Northridge, family and criminal law attorney, YouTube influencer

Experience: Doctorate in political science, master’s degree in social work and public policy. I’m an attorney. I’ve been on the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission and I’ve been the executive director of Proyecto Pastoral at Dolores Mission and Plaza Community Services.

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Gabriel Buelna

(Courtesy of Gabriel Buelna)

Priorities: Make available affordable beds for student housing; offer classes in different languages for communities that cannot attend because of language barriers; increase the diversity of curriculum throughout the district to authentically represent the communities we represent

Bond measure: I completely support Measure LA. Measure LA will upgrade our academic and athletic facilities and make our campuses available to serve as hubs for our communities. This bond will create a positive physical environment where students will feel comfortable and want to attend.

Enrollment losses: Improve the physical environment and make our campuses more student-centered with more activities; student housing; provide classes in multiple languages to allow communities that do not speak English to take classes and increase workforce capacity; design short-term, degree and transfer programs for adult learners; engage in outreach and recruitment to the communities most severely impacted by the pandemic

Basic needs: A program with local restaurants to subsidize student meals; food and clothing banks at our campuses; increase basic needs grants; increase the amount of beds and housing for students at all community colleges

Online classes: Virtual options should continue as the way learning has moved, virtual learning is permanent. Whether online or in-person is expanded or reduced will depend on individual campus and faculty, with data from how student learning is being affected. Student demand will also inform our class offerings.

Website: buelnaforcollegeboard.nationbuilder.com/meet_gabriel_buelna

Name: Robert Payne (declined to provide photo)

Age: 73

Occupation: Writer, researcher, writing instructor, former professor, director of documentaries

Experience: Wrote and sold novels, launched a non-government organization during the Guatemalan civil war, high school and college instructor, serve on board of directors of an orphanage in Africa

Priorities: Gain academic excellence and skills for younger students; up-train working professionals for advancement; make education and skills low-cost, debt-free

Bond measure: As an instructor at one of the colleges, I bought my own copier. I paid for my own computer, scanner, software and internet. Where is the past funding going? I want financial transparency before the district receives more billions.

Enrollment losses: I believe in success stories. I met many students in my classes who went on to personal and professional success. I can find such students, video interviews, and show their success.

Basic needs: Maintain state support of fee waiver, scholarships, etc. Search for paid intern work for students in possible careers. Pressure the several cities of Los Angeles County to up-zone areas around the colleges for denser, multiunit housing that students can afford.

Online classes: Classrooms are better, classrooms allow for relationships. For my classes, I provided all possible material online and on devices.

Website: PayneForLACCD.info

Name: Mark Dutton

Age: 58

Occupation: Producer, writer, teacher, musician

Experience: Making every effort to do what I say I’m going to do, openly communicating with the public and prioritizing education over special interests

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Mark Dutton

(Courtesy of Mark Dutton)

Priorities: Student success; living wage for teachers; transparency, clarity and oversight of measures/propositions

Bond measure: No on Measure LA until the public is assured oversight of their tax dollar spending, transparency of what they are building and why it is necessary at a time when we should be focused on declining enrollment and low graduation success rates

Enrollment losses: End toxic politics on campuses, focus on education through accredited courses, provide a living wage for all teachers/instructors

Basic needs: Help facilitate student graduation with an education that will allow them a career that pays a living wage; provide options for temporary low-cost housing; when making policy and spending money, follow data and credible research, not special interests

Online classes: The option should remain available, but nothing beats learning and sharing ideas together on an energized campus.

Website: Facebook page, Marc Dutton for LACCD

Name: Kelsey Iino

Age: 42

Occupation: Community college faculty member, counselor at El Camino College

Experience: California community college graduate; worked for over 15 years as a counselor in various areas; president of my faculty union, AFT 1388, and have served as a delegate to the L.A. Federation of Labor for over six years; appointed to the LACCD board in April 2022

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Kelsey Iino

(Amy Williams)

Priorities: Addressing the basic needs of students (food, housing, transportation, school tech and supplies, and tuition); addressing current funding formula, preparing for fiscal cliff; making sure we are aware of why students are succeeding and provide targeted services and resources to help them be more successful

Bond measure: I support the bond. Our current funding mechanism doesn’t support much room for campus improvements. We need to make sure our students have access to resources and spaces.

Enrollment losses: Make the matriculation process from application to first day of class easier to navigate for all students; go into the communities to raise awareness about our free tuition and the affordability of LACCD; ask the stakeholders what their experiences are, what we are doing well and where we need to improve

Basic needs: Food pantry and food distribution programs; emergency housing funds; transportation vouchers/passes

Online classes: Virtual and in-person options should be based off student need. We have to make sure students have the proper access to electronic devices

Website: https://www.kelseyiino.com/

Name: Nancy Pearlman

Age: 74

Occupation: Anthropology instructor, television and radio documentarian with weekly shows, human rights activist, ethnic dance performer, college educator, nonprofit director, sustainability and ecotourism consultant

Experience: Trustee emeritus with the Los Angeles Community College District having served four terms, sixteen years. Also elected for one term to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee. Served on over 100 boards of directors and advisory councils for environmental, women’s rights, humanitarian, arts/dance and other nonprofits.

Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees candidate Nancy Pearlman

(Courtesy of Nancy Pearlman)

Priorities: Increase sustainability efforts; equality for the over 70% of part-time faculty; create programs for more student success, workforce development, and increased enrollment

Bond measure: Until there is a board with individuals such as myself that are not beholden to special interests, I cannot support the current bond measure. The LACCD has not shown why they need more money or where it will be spent.

Enrollment losses: Better publicity regarding the excellent offerings. Reaching out to the local high schools to promote the benefits of going to their community college.

Basic needs: More services need to be made available in all areas of student needs. For example, have parking lots open at night where homeless students can park, shower in facilities, etc.; more health center services; more counseling; more food banks; free textbooks

Online classes: I encourage in-classroom instruction. Some online instruction makes sense but the majority of courses should be in the classroom.

Website: www.nancypearlman.net

The Times’ editorial page publishes endorsements based on candidate interviews and independent reporting. The editorial board operates independently of the newsroom — reporters covering these races have no say in the endorsements.

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